With the advent of high speed printing, ribbon life became a problem. A solution is to continuously reuse ribbons by re-inking them, resulting in extended life. Re-inking is achieved by various techniques including using wicks supplied by an ink reservoir to apply ink to a ribbon surface. Another method of re-inking is to pass a ribbon against a porous ink reservoir and yet another method is to ink a roller from an ink reservoir and transfer the ink to the ribbon.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,942, Nagasawa et al. a ribbon cassette, with re-inking mechanism, is shown in which a removable ink supply is mounted within the cassette and a first roller is inked by contact with the ink supply and a second roller is pivotally mounted to engage a ribbon between it and the first roller to advance a ribbon into the cavity of the cassette and re-ink it. The second roller is mounted on a pivot arm and has a drive gear for rotating it and thereby advancing the ribbon. The pivot arm is biased to affect the cooperative engagement of the first and second rollers.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,097, Goubeaux, there is shown in a cartridge for an endless ribbon, an ink reservoir in the form of a transfer roller pivotally mounted and spring biased into engagement with a transfer roller for re-inking the transfer roller which is pivotally mounted on a fixed post affixed to the housing of the cartridge. A second roller is spring biased to pinch a ribbon between it and the transfer roller. An external drive mechanism engages the transfer roller to drive it and advance the ribbon.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,947, Echols, a re-inking device for an endless ribbon is taught in which a cartridge has a rotatable ink reservoir mounted within a case and a transfer roller likewise mounted within this case which is in contact for re-inking and the transfer roller is exposed through an opening in the case to contact a ribbon driven between it and a second roller on a fixed posted which is driven by an external means to advance the pair of rollers and the ribbon. The contact between the rollers to grasp and advance the ribbon is achieved by pivotally mounting the case within the cartridge and spring biasing it toward the stationary roller.
Applicants having pending an application for Patent, filed May 30, 1989 in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office which disclose and claims a ribbon re-inking device which incorporates a combination drive-transfer gear which cooperates with a rotatable porous ink reservoir body to transfer ink to the print track of a reusable ribbon. The mechanism has a toothed gear biased into engagement with the drive-transfer gear to grasp a ribbon therebetween and by rotation of the drive-transfer gear advance the ribbon and re-ink the print track of a ribbon.